New findings for Novartis' fevipiprant suggest 'game changer' for asthma treatment

Fevipiprant (QAW039), a drug being developed by Swiss pharma major Novartis (NOVN: VX), reduced eosinophilic airway inflammation in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma, according to an article appearing in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The single-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial run in the UK, targeted the reduction of such inflammation, which results in improved clinical outcomes.

Between baseline and 12 weeks after treatment, sputum eosinophil percentage decreased from a geometric mean of 5.4% to 1.1% in the fevipiprant group and from 4.6% to 3.9% in the placebo group.